Authors visit H.O. Brittingham Elementary School

May 13, 2014

Source: SubmittedAuthor Kit Grindstaff reads from her book "The Flame in the Mist."

H.O Brittingham Elementary School students played host to two children’s authors April 30.

Kit Grindstaff spoke to the fourth- and fifth-graders. She talked about how growing up in a small town in England inspired the writing of her first novel, "The Flame in the Mist." This book is a fantasy set in the imaginary land of Anglavia, where the constant presence of a mist and an evil family make life very difficult for the people who live there. Fifth-grader Shauna Stone, who is currently reading "The Flame in the Mist," says that a section can start out calm and easy, but then take a drastic turn, with loop-de-loops in the plot.

Nancy Viau read her book "Look What I Can Do!" with the kindergarteners and involved the first-, second- and third-graders in an interactive presentation based on her two other books, "Storm Song" and "Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head." Second-grader Zachary Willey and Molly Clune liked learning about onomatopoeia in "Storm Song." Their favorite sound was “ROAR.” They liked the questions Viau asked them and thought she was nice and funny.

“This was a great opportunity for our students,” said third-grade teacher Alfredo Rodriguez. “Meeting a real author inspires them to be better readers and writers.”